Collier

History

Domaine du Collier is a small family estate in the Saumur appellation, run by Antoine Collier and his partner Charlotte. Antoine is the son of Francis Collier, who was himself a winemaker in the Loire, and the domaine as it currently operates reflects Antoine's own vision rather than a long-inherited property in the traditional sense. He effectively rebuilt the project from the ground up in the early 2000s, acquiring parcels carefully and establishing a clear stylistic direction for both the white and red wines. The domaine remains small by design, with a focus on a tight range of wines that reflect specific sites rather than volume.

Vineyards

The vineyards are situated on the tuffeau plateau and slopes around Varrains, one of the more favored communes for both Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc in the Saumur zone. The soils are the region's defining material: soft, porous tuffeau limestone that drains freely and forces vine roots deep. La Charpentrie, the domaine's flagship white, comes from a single parcel of old-vine Chenin Blanc on this tuffeau, and the site's combination of exposure and soil depth gives the wine a structural tension that separates it from broader Saumur Blanc. Farming is conducted along organic lines, though precise certification details are not widely documented.

Winemaking

The white wines are fermented with native yeasts and aged in a combination of old barrels and larger neutral vessels, with no interest in new oak influence. The approach is unhurried: La Charpentrie in particular sees extended elevage that allows the wine to resolve its natural acidity and develop textural complexity before release. The result is Chenin in a dry, mineral register, with the kind of grip and longevity more commonly associated with Savennieres. The Saumur-Champigny red, made from Cabernet Franc on the same tuffeau, follows a similarly low-intervention line, with gentle extraction and aging in used wood. Across the range, filtration is minimal to none.